There are 6 strategies to help you deal with loneliness when working alone
If you're working on your own and are feeling lonely, get these six easy, affordable strategies to deal when working from home.
Working alone has a lot of advantages.
You get more done, generally. You don't have to play with office politics. You get to have your breaks when you'd like, whenever you'd want, and you're the master of your own every day life.
However, there's a really major disadvantage that I'd rather I'd been warned about by someone:
Even if you're a rugged introvert, working alone -- completely alone -is lonely.
Like, paint a volleyball and name the ball "Wilson" different levels of solitude. It's true that loneliness, no matter if it creeps into your life or strikes your whole body at the same time, can really throw off your flow when working to manage a business.
We get it We've experienced it. We'll show you how we get around it by providing our 6 favorite strategies for coping with solitude when traveling on your own.
Let's begin.
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6 ways to cope with loneliness while working at a distance
#1. Do not miss the opportunity to exercise.
While it may sound unrelated the best way to fight loneliness when working alone is to incorporate exercises into your day-to-day routine.
Why? Nothing is more beneficial for your mental health than regular exercise.
A study that was published in front Psychiatry scientific journal has revealed that exercising reduces anxiety. It also release endorphins. The results of which help create positive emotions and decrease your sense of suffering.
Loneliness is not the only reason for productivity. It can lead right to a decrease in your mental well-being. Its negative consequences can worsen anxiety, depression as well as mood disorders and mental decline.
It is beneficial to exercise to be proactive and engage in self-care, and lessen the negative effects of isolation on your mental wellbeing.
Unfortunately, however, just 23% of Americans have enough time to fitness.
Based on the Department of Health and Human Services Adults should be able to take at the very least 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise as well as 1.25 up to 2.5 hours of intense-intensity exercise per week.
The fact that many people don't exercise enough isn't surprising. When you consider the amount of time that is spent on a computer screen the number is staggering. twelve hours per day for adults, and 6 hours and 40 minutes daily for teens.
It's true, you may be spending all day at a screen, and maybe even more than that, when you're still too lazy to get up and take some exercise breaks.
Do you think exercise can cure loneliness? No, probably not. However, it could assist you in combating the worst side adverse effects. As it pertains to preventatives the cost is low.
So, get moving and get up. Do some dancing if you like and do some yoga that is high-intensity if it's not.
Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of draining half your day in front of a screen. It's not healthy, and only increases the effects of loneliness that are compounded.
As does skipping breaks in general.
#2. Take regular breaks (free from your screens and devices)
Whether you take a break to hit the gym or walk along the street or sit up to take a stretch break, having regular breaks between your tasks is a must, especially in the case of working alone.
If you are working on your own, remote, or from home, you can stay entranced by your computer screen without the traditional water cooler chat or drive-by office colleagues interrupting your desk colleagues.
As you are aware, screentime is a dangerous trap to fall within.
According to an University of Illinois study, one break per hour helps you perform better by giving your brain a brief diversion for the time it requires to refuel and regain concentration.
Like fitness, it's becoming a popular behavior to skip out on breaks, including the lunch break.
According to research by Tork, 62 percent of millennials are willing to take more time for lunch If they had the chance, as in contrast to just 46% of boomers.
Additionally, 16% of the millennial generation declare they'd go as far as taking a 10% pay cut in lieu of an hour-long lunch break.
The fact that this is almost the same as the percentage of gen-Xers and more than three times the proportion of boomers reveals that, the way we're going is the habit of not taking lunch breaks.
This is to say that don't fall victim to the culture-based pressure of working through your breaks. Although it might seem as if you're achieving, the reality is it can lead to further decline in your health, on top of the effects of being confined to your workstation.
Instead, take one breaks every hour. This helps you stay focused, increase your energy as well as general effectiveness.
Better yet, take it to the next level and plan some proper breaks -- the kind with friends -- after the workday.
#3. Schedule social plans after work
Although it might not be directly related to combating the loneliness that can arise during work hours Our third suggestion to combat loneliness is simple and sweet: make social plans outside of work.
Socializing on social media doesn't count. You must be in person, whether that's on an Zoom call or otherwise.
One UCSD research found that face-to-face social interactions enhance your well-being, while the use of Facebook is likely to negatively impact your physical and mental health.
If you're not looking to plan social time at work, you can combine two of our suggestions and schedule a lunch with a person you love or schedule a break during the day for a walk with a companion.
If you're not in a situation to go out in the city, a virtual face-to-face time, happy hour time or cat .GIF hour is just as effectively.
Whatever you decide to do, put an event with a group of people in your calendar, and make sure you do often.
A significant 20% of those working remotely struggle with loneliness and loneliness, which is one of the biggest challenges for those who work on their own (tied to collaboration and communication).
In addition, with an overwhelming 98% of remote workers plan to maintain their way of life for the duration of their careers, this problem of loneliness is going to stay and only becoming more vital to combat.
That said, we know how important it is to schedule time in your life to socialize isn't always an option. There are families to tend to, pets that indulge in affection and many additional obstacles that make it difficult to stay on top of your schedule.
If you're looking for a solution, here's an possibility -- online communities.
#4. Participate in an online mastermind group
The fourth method we recommend to combat solitude while working is to interact with co-workers and colleagues through an online mastermind group or group.
Participating in a relevant online community can be a great way to engage and build bonds with people who share the same interests.
Additionally, it offers you the chance to collaborate with others, which is a bonus of fueling your motivation. Actually, you'll be able to be able to complete your project 64% longer in collaboration together as opposed to working on it alone.
Brit Kolo, the founder of Marketing Personalities, told me that joining a mastermind group is one of the most profitable investments she's made in her company so far -- not just for the business growth but also due to the lifelong friends and supportive group of people it offers.
"I've developed as a person, leader and CEO. My fellow business owners who are part of my mastermind group have become long-lasting friends and I do not say this lightly."
Signs point to the world needing more thought leadership such as you'll encounter in a mastermind group. An HRPA study revealed that 63% of millennials think their leadership capabilities haven't been improved.
It is crucial to identify your tribe and establish a connection with them. Relationships that you can and can nurture through the live chat feature.
It's also our next tip for staving off loneliness in a remote environment.
#5. Leverage video conferencing
A different way to stave off loneliness while working from home is to utilize live video apps to connect with colleagues and your friends.
Why video conferencing? It works, according to an overwhelming majority of people who use it.
90% of users believe video conferencing helps them build relationships in and out of their companies.
In addition, 96% of respondents agree or strongly agree that videoconferencing is an effective way to improve connectedness among remote team members.
If you're traveling on your own and not having a team, you are able to rely on video conferencing to connect with other people on a deeper level, whether you're a team member or otherwise.
Video chat is more engaging in comparison to, for example, a phone call or email, because it provides an extra level of non-verbal communication normally absent in other forms of non-face-to face conversation.
70% of our communication is non-verbal. That means when you're relying on audio or text the connection is only around 30% of the connection at best.
That's definitely not going to improve on anyone's isolation -- at least at least not in the way the situation could be improved in any case.
Video also helps in the collaborative and creative efforts of your employees. So much so that according to research conducted of LifeSize, 50% of businesses who use videoconferencing are more inventive and 55% have a greater degree of collaboration.
If you're in search of free videoconferencing solutions, think about Skype , Webex as well as Zoom .
The moral here is to take advantage of technology and utilize live video conference to connect directly with others during your workday.
Our last tip takes it a step further and involves interacting with people in real-time with coworking spaces.
#6. Get creative with a coworking space or place outside your home
In the event that you're able to travel, another effective way to deal with loneliness while working is to physically leave your office in the home, and instead use either a coworking space, shared office space, or even a coffee shop.
It is important to periodically modify your life to incorporate others and to be in a different location than your home. It increases the likelihood of escaping a lonely rut, engaging with other people engaging in discussions, even if only a brief one in a cafe.
Finding a local coworking space close to you should not be a problem nowadays, since these spaces seem to be popping up all over the place.
Coworking space availability has exploded to more than 26,300 worldwide . The US only, this number is expected to increase to more than 6,200 before 2022.
For the population according to there are 5.1 million people in the world. Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) predicted that there would at least 5.1 million coworking users worldwide by 2022, this is an impressive 24.2 percent growth. So far, all indications point to that being a true projection.
So that's plenty of potential coworking colleagues to befriend and even though, given current circumstances, you might have to do it at the distance. Go out (as as you're able) and include a couple more colleagues to your address book -- it'll help fight off the solo blues as well as who knows, it might be a great job opportunity.
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Combat loneliness and find the groove you've always had
If you're working on your own, it doesn't mean it's necessary to feel lonely.
It's essential to get involved to prevent loneliness from taking its toll as you nurture your remote career and business.
To summarize:
Take care of your mental health through doing your exercise regularly. The numerous benefits of exercise will improve the overall health of your business and improve its performance.
Make sure you take regular breaks too. Contrary to what some imagine, they will make you more focused and productive.
Make plans for social events and get togethers during your off time. The face-to-face time is much needed and shouldn't fall to the back of the pack, even when you must do via a conference software.
Join relevant online groups like masterminds, Facebook groups and others for a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and build lasting relationships. Reddit and Slack communities are also used for the same purpose.
Improve your communications with others by making use of live videoconferencing software as much as you can. Too much of our conversations are not verbal, and we can't rely on sound and text for all communication.
Finally, if it's safe to do so, incorporate the coworking space or other locations outside of your home office into your daily schedule. Small environmental adjustments can be a big influence on your mental strength.
As a group as a group, we've worked from home for a long time The reality of the matter is that you'll never fully escape the loneliness when you work on your own.
But you will adjust, and by incorporating only a handful of these methods You'll quickly realize that working alone doesn't have to mean becoming an island. It's still possible to have your community, even if you need to travel further than the internet, conference call platforms, or coworking space to locate the group.